Apparatus for handling articles

ABSTRACT

A method of and apparatus for article handling wherein tote pans, containing the articles to be handled, are transported between stations using a fork lift truck having forks adapted to embrace the sides of the pan and underlie specially constructed flanges at the upper margins thereof. The pans are provided with upwardly and outwardly sloping opposed side walls terminating at their upper edges with laterally outwardly projecting flanges which preferably are in the form of downwardly opening troughs unobstructed at their ends and of a width sufficient to embracingly overlie the upwardly facing supporting surfaces of laterally spaced apart parallel forks of the fork lift truck, which forks are laterally spaced apart to embrace the upwardly sloping sides of the pans and be elevated and guided by the sloping walls into supportive relation with the flanges. The method involves depositing articles in a pan resting on a support, moving the fork lift truck such that the forks slidably embrace the upwardly sloping sides of the pan, elevating the forks with the same riding up the side walls of the pan and thereby guided into supporting relationship beneath the flanges, and continuing to elevate the forks to raise the pan off the support, moving the pan by shifting the fork lift truck to another location and at such location lowering the forks to deposit the pan on a support. The flanges of the tote pans are provided with apertures adapted to receive upwardly extending projections on the forks whereby a pan is prevented from inadvertent dislodgment from the forks.

United States Patent [191 Lyon Nov. 11, 1975 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Gilbert T. Lyon, 22501 Rio Vista, St. Clair Shores, Mich. 48081 [22] Filed: Nov. 5, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 412,778

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 151.249. June 9. 1971. abandoned. which is a continuation of Ser. No. 22.124. March 31. 1970. abandoned. which is a [76] Inventor:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 422.717 3/1890 Caldwell 220/69 2,216,147 10/1940 Ward 220/73 2.256.453 9/1941 Bomar 214/621 2,335,647 1 1/1943 Chamberlain 220/59 2,764,136 9/1956 Gadd 220/73 2.843.280 7/1958 Stopps 214/620 2.934.227 4/1960 Dempster et al. 214/621 3.701.443 10/1972 Van Der Lely 214/315 D139.005 1/1944 Adams 211/126 Prinutry Examiner-Frank E. Werner Assistant liraminew-Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burton & Parker [57] ABSTRACT A method of and apparatus for article handling wherein tote pans, containing the articles to be handled, are transported between stations using a fork lift truck having forks adapted to embrace the sides of the pan and underlie specially constructed flanges at the upper margins thereof. The pans are provided with upwardly and outwardly sloping opposed side walls terminating at their upper edges with laterally outwardly projecting flanges which preferably are in the form of downwardly opening troughs unobstructed at their ends and of a width sufficient to embracingly overlie the upwardly facing supporting surfaces of laterally spaced apart parallel forks of the fork lift truck, which forks are laterally spaced apart to embrace the up wardly sloping sides of the pans and be elevated and guided by the sloping walls into supportive relation with the flanges. The method involves depositing articles in a pan resting on a support, moving the fork lift truck such that the forks slidably embrace the upwardly sloping sides of the pan, elevating the forks with the same riding up the side walls of the pan and thereby guided into supporting relationship beneath the flanges, and continuing to elevate the forks to raise the pan off the support, moving the pan by shifting the fork lift truck to another location and at such location lowering the forks to deposit the pan on a support. The flanges of the tote pans are provided with apertures adapted to receive upwardly extending projections on the forks whereby a pan is prevented from inadvertent dislodgment from the forks.

12 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Nov. 11,1975 Sheet10f3 3,918,600

FIG.2

"NVENTOR 6/152??? 7 Z/O/V U.S. Patent N0v.11,1975 Sheet30f3 3,918,600

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES PRIOR APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 151,249 filed June 9, 1971, now abandoned which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 22,124 filed Mar. 31, 1970, now abandoned which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 569,161 filed Aug. 1, 1966, now abandoned.

FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a method of article handling, in particular the handling of articles utilizing tote pans. It also relates to improvements in apparatus for handling articles which are to be handled by tote pans.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years tote pans have been used in great numbers throughout industry to handle small metal parts, such as screw machine parts, during transport of such parts in groups from one work station to another, and to contain the parts in inventory. A typical tote pan may measure approximately 16 inches wide, 30 inches long and inches deep, be made of from 19 to gauge metal and weigh empty approximately 14 pounds. When fully loaded with screw machine parts, such as bolts, fluid pressure fittings, or the like,"the pan may weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. The pans have heretofore been designed to be handled manually and have been so handled for the most part in the past and today. Typically tote pans are supported on stands at opposite sides of a worker at a machine where a step in the manufacture of the parts contained in the pans is to be performed. The worker removes a part from a pan at one side, performs the work on it and then places the part in the pan on the other side. As many of the workers are women, filled pans are often too heavy for them to handle and are very heavy for the average man. As a consequence, when a filled pan is to be removed from a stand to the floor, or lifted from the floor to a stand, the women workers must get one or more men to move the pan which often necessitates temporarily pulling men away from their machines or other duties; or one man will often ask another man to help him lower or lift a pan, again disrupting the helpers own work.

When pans are to be moved any distance they are often dragged along the floor, or sometimes placed on pallets and the pallets lifted by fork lift trucks and transported. In some instances pans are slid crosswise onto the forks or fork lift trucks which somewhat precariously move the pans from one location to another. All of these prior methods of handling small parts utilizing tote pans require manual lifting, lowering, pulling, pushing or dragging of the pans and the dangers of bodily injury attendant therewith, and the loss of productive time of workers thus occupied.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION To avoid the problems involved in manually handling the tote pans I provide a method of handling which involves the utilization of a fork lift truck preferably having specially designed forks which will longitudinally slidingly embrace the sides of the pan and upon elevation will engage beneath specially constructed lateral flanges along the upper marginal edges of the side walls of the pan to lift and carry the pan with movements of the truck. The forks are preferably of narrow width and the flanges preferably are downwardly opening troughs to receive in nested relation the upper load carrying surfaces of the forks. In addition the pans have upwardly and outwardly sloping side walls beneath the flanges such that by longitudinally moving the forks to embrace the pan spaced downwardly from the flanges, the forks need not be accurately aligned with the flanges of the pan, but upon elevation of the forks they are guided into nesting relation with the flanges by virtue of the guiding action of the outwardly sloping side walls of the pan. The forks of the fork truck are laterally spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the flanges at the upper edges of the side walls to nest therewithin as aforesaid, and by virtue of the sloping side walls are spaced apart a sufficiently greater distance than the side walls adjacent their lower ends so that the forks may be easily passed alongside opposite sides of the pan without especial care for alignment of forks and pan. The flanges of the pans are provided with elongated apertures or slots adapted to receive upwardly extending projections on the forks when the forks are elevated to lift the pans. As a result of this arrangement each pan is prevented from inadvertent dislodgment from the forks and consequent dropping of the pan therefrom with possible attendant injury to workers and spillage and damage of parts.

The upward projections on the forks which are received within the elongated apertures are shown as of two forms, the first in which "the projection is of substantially symmetrical shape and must be prepositioned beneath the flange aperture before the forks are raised to lift the pan. The other form of the projections is that of a cam whereby the forks may he slid beneath the pan flanges and the cam projection will automatically lock itself into the flange aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively side and front elevations of a fork lift truck transporting a tote pan in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 3 shows an end view of three tote pans stored in side-by-side relation as on a shelf or the like in inventory storage and illustrates the relationship of the forks thereto;

FIG. 4 is a detailed side elevation of the forks in relation to the tote pan of FIG. 3; I

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of a tote pan embodying special flanges for receiving forks of a fork lift truck;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through one of the flanges of the tote pan of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end elevation of a tote pan embodying another form of flange adapted to receive the forks of a fork lift truck;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-section through one of the flanges of the tote pan of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an end elevation of another tote pan adapted to be supported upon the forks of a fork lift truck;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tote pan shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an end elevation of a tote pan which has been modified to provide special flanges for receiving the forks of a fork lift truck;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view through a side wall and a special flange secured to the side wall of a tote pan after receiving the forks of a fork lift truck;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention wherein the forks of the fork lift truck are provided with an upward extension or locking lug, with the same shown positioned prior to engagement of the forks with the pan flanges to lift the pan;

FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 13 except the forks have been elevated to lift a tote pan off a supporting surface;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the upwardly projecting lug of FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation of a further modification of the invention wherein the forks are provided with a camshaped lug for engaging within a flange aperture, and showing the forks being slidably engaged beneath a tote pan;

FIG. 17 is similar to FIG. 16 except the forks have lifted the tote pan off of the support and the cam-like upward projection is seated within the flange apertures;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the cam projection for the forks of FIGS. 16 and 17; and

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a tote pan suitable for use with the invention disclosed in FIGS. 13-18.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While any suitable fork lift truck may be used, preferably the truck should have forks 20, 22 which project ahead of the front wheels 24 so that the tote pan 26 may be placed on or removed from a support without the truck having to run beneath the support. In a typical fork lift truck that would be suitable, there is a vertically shiftable portion 28 that is raised and lowered by mechanical and/or hydraulic mechanism under control of the operator. The truck T shown in the drawing is of the self-propelled type readily available from a number of sources. However, it is to be understood that smaller manually moved trucks would in many instances be satisfactory providing the fork arrangement is as above and hereinafter described.

Secured to and projecting forwardly of the vertically shiftable portion 28 of the truck T are the forks and 22 which are so constructed and arranged that their upper load carrying surfaces 30 slope forwardly upwardly slightly at approximately a 10 angle thereby offsetting any tendency of a tote pan 26 carried on them to slide unintentionally off their distal ends. The thickness of each fork, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is approximately equal to or slightly less than the width of the specially constructed flanges 32 and 34 of the tote pans to be handled, and to provide suitable strength for the forks they may have a greater vertical dimension at their proximal ends, as at 36, and taper their distal ends 38. The maximum vertical dimension of the forks is less than the vertical dimension of the tote pans so that the forks may embrace the pans adjacent the narrow bottom thereof and then be raised into supportive relation therewith.

The tote pans to be handled by the truck, comprise boxes of sheet metal or other durable material having as shown in FIGS. 1-4, a bottom wall 40 and opposed side walls 42, 44, and opposed end walls 46, 48. The end walls may, but the side walls should, taper upwardly outwardly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The upper margins of the end walls may, but the upper margins of the side walls should, have respectively laterally projecting flanges 50, 52 and 32, 34. Such flanges may comprise either continuations of the walls or be supplementary members secured thereto as hereinafter described. The flanges shown in FIGS. 26, 9, 10 and 11 have been formed to provide downwardly opening toughs which are unobstructed at opposite ends to permit unobstructed linearly slidable insertion or withdrawal of the forks relative to the trough-like flanges, as well as full and even seating or nesting of the forks within the troughs as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the preferred form of the apparatus, the flanges 32 and 34 are curled providing concave channels 54 and the load-engaging surfaces 30 of the forks are correspondingly concave so that an even nesting of the forks in the channels is provided. The forks are themselves spaced apart a distance D which corresponds to the spacing of the channels of flanges 32 and 34. It will be observed that such spacing provides a close embracement of the forks about the side walls 42 and 44 when the forks have been raised to their tote pan supporting position, thereby insuring against lateral displacement of the forks and pans. But it will also be noted that when the forks are lowered away from the flanges that they are spaced laterally from the adjacent side walls. This spacing facilitates embracement of the pans by the forks without the necessity for precise alignment, as during elevation of the forks the upwardly outwardly sloping side walls of the pan will guide the forks into nested relation with the channels or troughs of the flanges.

Tote pans are often stored in side-by-side relation on shelves in racks for inventory or other storage of parts contained therein. In FIG. 3 is a representative side-byside arrangement of three tote pans as the same might appear on the shelf of a rack, the shelf being indicated at S and the superadjacent shelf in phantom at S. It will be noted that the flanges 32 and 34 are in abutment to reduce storage space and that the forks 20 and 22, by virtue of their narrow transverse dimension or thickness, can he slipped into embracing relation with the pan P without disturbing the adjacent pans P-1 and P-2. Such is an important consideration in the placement of or removal of pans to and from the shelves. The vertical dimension of the forks permit their insertion between adjacent pans and thereafter elevation to nest within the concave flanges for slight lifting and removal of the pan from the shelf. It will be noted that because the flanges are relatively narrow to maximize the storage space, the fork members must be accurately positioned to meet the flanges at the time the pan is being lifted from the shelf, and as before mentioned the guiding action of the sloping side walls 42 and 44 causing nesting of the forks in the flanges is therefore particularly important during the removal of pans from side-by-side stored relation.

While the forks are shown as being intended to underlie the flanges 32 and 34 at the upper margins of the side walls 42 and 44, it will be appreciated that by increasing the distance D between the forks, they may be adapted to underlie the flanges 50 and 52 of the end walls. In some instances this may be desirable as where two or more tote pans are to be carried simultaneously on the forks.

In FIG. 5 the laterally projecting flanges of the tote pan are formed by reversely bending the wall material as at and 62 and riveting the marginal edge of the material as at 64. This construction, particularly when the pans are formed of 15 gauge metal, is entirely satisfactory for the average pan measuring 16 inches wide,

30 inches long and inches deep and intended to handle metal screw machine parts or the like.

The tote pan shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is essentially the same as that of FIG. 5 except handholds or the like 66 are provided in the opposite side walls. The flange construction of the FIG. 9 pan is as described in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6, namely rivets or the like 68 are utilized in securing the folded-over marginal edge of the wall portions. In FIG. 10 instead of utilizing rivets, the marginal edge of the wall material may be spotwelded or the like as indicated at 70.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 the upper marginal flanges of the side and end walls are not curled as with the embodiments previously described but rather the walls are bent to extend laterally as at 72 in FIG. 8 and are reinforced by an underlying channel member 74 which is riveted as at 76 and 78 to the flange portion 72 and side wall 80.

To enable adaptation of existing tote pans to the method of handling herein disclosed, I have shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 provision of flange means which may be secured to conventional tote pans for such adaptation. In FIG. 11 a supplementary downwardly opening channel member 82 extends along the side and end walls of the tote pan and is welded to the outside thereof as at 84 and 86. The tote pan conventionally has a rolled rim 88 which may or may not be rolled around a rod-like reinforcement 90 which peripherally surrounds the upper margin of the pan. The supplementary channel means 82 similarly extends peripherally about the upper margin of the pan and lies immediately beneath the rolled rim 88 as shown. The supplementary flange has a downwardly extending outer wall portion 92 which with the inner wall portion 94 defines the downwardly opening trough. This supplementary flange arrangement may be readily secured to existing tote pan to adapt them to the methods herein disclosed. It will be noted that the downwardly opening channels formed by the walls 92 and 94 are unobstructed and open at opposite ends as in the embodiments hereinbefore described.

In FIG. 12 the supplementary flange means is secured to the inside of the side and end walls of the tote pan and includes a laterally outwardly projecting flange overlying the rolled rim of such walls of the pan. The supplementary flange comprises a generally L-shaped channel member having an inner flange part 96 and an outwardly laterally projecting flange part 98. The flange may be prefabricated in rectangular form to fit down within the top of the tote pan and is welded to the walls thereof as at 100 and 102. The underside of the laterally projecting flange portion 98 provides a forkengaging flange for supporting the pan on the forks of the fork lift truck.

It will be noted from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the vertical dimension of the forks and 22 is less than the vertical dimension of the tote pan measured from the bottom wall thereof to the underside of the flanges 32 and 34 whereby the forks may be embracingly slide about the sides of the pan near the bottom without contacting the flanges and thereafter elevated into pan supporting relation with the flanges. Further, it will be noted, particularly with reference to FIG. 3, that the upwardly facing flange engaging edges 45 of the forks are bridged by the flanges and that the forks have a transverse dimension or thickness equal to substantially the width of the flanges to minimize disturbance of adjacent pans during removal or replacement of a pan from between a pair of pans, such as the removal or replacement of pan P between pans P-1 and P-2 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In FIGS. 13-19 I have shown two further modifications of the invention which are intended to prevent inadvertent dislodgment of a tote pan from the forks of the fork lift truck. Inadvertent dislodgment while the truck is transporting a pan from one location to another or as the truck operator is preparing to remove the pan from a support or place it on a support could seriously injure a nearby worker if the pan should fall and strike him, or could result in serious property losses should the parts contained in the pan be thrown out of it and damaged. Unlike prior art objects intended to be car,- ried by fork lift trucks, the tote pans disclosed in this application have relatively narrow flanges for resting on the forks. In addition, the pans are relatively light compared to loads that are normally carried by fork lift trucks so that accidental brushing of a pan against a stationary object during movement of the fork truck can dislodge the pan and cause it to fall from between the forks with possible attendant injury to adjacent workers or serious property damage.

In FIGS. 13l5 I have shown the forks of the fork lift truck as being provided with upwardly extending projections or lugs which are of symmetrical shape and have upwardly inwardly tapering sides 112 and ends 114 exhibiting a truncated formation and further having a rounded upper edge 116. Such lugs are intended to be received within elongate slots 118 or 120 formed in the flanges of the sides or end walls respectively of the tote pan. Such slots or apertures are longer, as shown in FIG. 13, than the lugs 110 whereby the fork lift truck operator is given limited leeway in positioning the forks to engage the pans so that the lugs will be received within the flange apertures.

In FIGS. 13 and 14 the forks 122 are shown tilted upwardly at their free ends. The forks are extended in embracing relation along the sides of the tote pan and when positioned substantially as shown in FIG. 13 are elevated to engage the projecting lugs 110 within the apertures of the flanges and lift the pan off the support 124 as shown in FIG. 14. With the projections 110 engaged within the slots as shown in FIG. 14 it will be apparent that striking of a corner or side or end of the tote pan against a stationary object during transport of the pan on the forks will not readily dislodge the pan from the forks.

In FIGS. 16-18 a second form of the lug is shown at 110. In this form the lug is cam-shaped with an upper edge 116 which slopes downwardly toward the free ends of the forks. This form of lug would be particularly useful with forks which are not tilted as the forks may be slid along beneath the flanges of the pan tending to slightly elevate the pan as shown in FIG. 16 and when in registry with the apertures 118 the lugs will move thereinto and the pan will automatically seat itself on the forks in locked engagement on the lugs. A pan with the lugs 110' received as aforesaid in the apertures of the flanges and being lifted by the forks is shown in FIG. 17.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, said pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, reinforcing means secured to the side walls and to the flanges along the length thereof, such flanges being adapted to seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each flange having a lateral width at least slightly greater than the tote pan supporting edge of the fork member upon which it seats, each flange of at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls having an elongate aperture therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and receivable through said apertures and being of such a height as to project upwardly above the flanges when fully received in said apertures, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the width of the pan measured between the opposed longitudinally extending side walls of the pan adjacent to their respective flanges, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan, with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said flange apertures with which they register and visibly projecting thereabove, said sloping side walls of the pan engagingly cooperating with the fork members to align the latter with the flanges during such upward shifting of the fork members, the transverse width of each fork member not exceeding the width of the flange supported thereon so that the pans may be assembled in side-by-side relationship with their adjacent flanges in abutting contact with one another,and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.

2. The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the forks have a vertical dimension less than vertical dimension between the bottom of the tote pan and the undersides of the flanges and have a thickness adjacent the tote pan flange supporting edge which is less than their vertical dimension.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that the flanges of the tote pan define downwardly opening troughs and the upper edge of each fork is sized to be received upwardly within one of the troughs.

4. The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the forks each have an upwardly facing tote pan flange engaging edge extending gradually angularly upwardly to tilt the pan toward the truck as it is lifted by the forks.

5. The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the flanges of the tote pan comprise elongated members of generally L-shaped cross-section with one leg of the L-shape secured to the upper marginal edge of the side wall and the other leg projecting laterally therefrom.

6. In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and extending parallel to the side wall from which the flange projects, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, each said lug having a horizontal dimension paralleling its fork member which is greater than its height and a height which is greater than the thickness of the slotted flanges with the result that when the lug is fully received in the slot of one of the flanges its upper section will visibly project above the flange, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs fully received within said slots with which they register whereby the pan is interlocking positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat 7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein each said lug exhibits a truncated formation and terminates in an upper end face which occupies less area than the base of the lug.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the upper end face of each lug is inclined downwardly in the direction of the free end of the fork member on which it is carried.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the upper end face of each lug is convexly rounded.

10. The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that the lugs have the same width as said fork members at the base of the lugs and have both lateral surfaces tapering inwardly from said base, the front and rear surfaces of said lugs converging upwardly toward one another whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.

11. The invention defined in claim 6 characterized in that the lugs have the same width as said fork members at the base of the lugs and have both lateral surfaces tapering inwardly from said base, the front and rear surfaces of said lugs converging upwardly toward one another whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.

12. In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shape tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy arficles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said forkmembers being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, said flangees having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said slots with which they register, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align, the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat, and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan. 

1. In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, said pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, reinforcing means secured to the side walls and to the flanges along the length thereof, such flanges being adapted to seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each flange having a lateral width at least slightly greater than the tote pan supporting edge of the fork member upon which it seats, each flange of at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls having an elongate aperture therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and receivable through said apertures and being of such a height as to project upwardly above the flanges when fully received in said apertures, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than the width oF the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the width of the pan measured between the opposed longitudinally extending side walls of the pan adjacent to their respective flanges, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan, with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said flange apertures with which they register and visibly projecting thereabove, said sloping side walls of the pan engagingly cooperating with the fork members to align the latter with the flanges during such upward shifting of the fork members, the transverse width of each fork member not exceeding the width of the flange supported thereon so that the pans may be assembled in side-by-side relationship with their adjacent flanges in abutting contact with one another,and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
 2. The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the forks have a vertical dimension less than vertical dimension between the bottom of the tote pan and the undersides of the flanges and have a thickness adjacent the tote pan flange supporting edge which is less than their vertical dimension.
 3. The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that the flanges of the tote pan define downwardly opening troughs and the upper edge of each fork is sized to be received upwardly within one of the troughs.
 4. The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the forks each have an upwardly facing tote pan flange engaging edge extending gradually angularly upwardly to tilt the pan toward the truck as it is lifted by the forks.
 5. The invention defined by claim 1 characterized in that the flanges of the tote pan comprise elongated members of generally L-shaped cross-section with one leg of the L-shape secured to the upper marginal edge of the side wall and the other leg projecting laterally therefrom.
 6. In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shaped tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof and extending parallel to the side wall from which the flange projects, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, each said lug having a horizontal dimension paralleling its fork member which is greater than its height and a height which is greater than the thickness of the slotted flanges with the result that when the lug is fully received in the slot of one of the flanges its upper section will visibly project above the flange, said flanges having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed open unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs fully received within said slots with which they register whereby the pan is interlocking positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat.
 7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein each said lug exhibits a truncated formation and terminates in an upper end face which occupies less area than the base of the lug.
 8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the upper end face of each lug is inclined downwardly in the direction of the free end of the fork member on which it is carried.
 9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the upper end face of each lug is convexly rounded.
 10. The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that the lugs have the same width as said fork members at the base of the lugs and have both lateral surfaces tapering inwardly from said base, the front and rear surfaces of said lugs converging upwardly toward one another whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
 11. The invention defined in claim 6 characterized in that the lugs have the same width as said fork members at the base of the lugs and have both lateral surfaces tapering inwardly from said base, the front and rear surfaces of said lugs converging upwardly toward one another whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan.
 12. In combination, a fork lift truck having a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting fork members each having an upwardly facing tote pan supporting edge, an article-carrying generally rectangularly shape tote pan adapted to carry small but relatively heavy articles, said pan having a bottom and two pairs of opposed side walls joined at their side edges to form the four corners of the tote pan, at least one of said two pairs of opposed side walls sloping upwardly and outwardly from said bottom and each having an outwardly projecting continuous flange along its upper edge, said fork members being laterally spaced apart a distance greater than one dimension of the bottom of the tote pan and substantially equal to the same dimension of the pan as measured between the opposed sloping side walls adjacent to the flanges thereof and such that the two flanges seat respectively over the said tote pan supporting edges of the spaced fork members of the fork lift truck, each said fork member having a thickness not greater than the width of the flange which it supports and a vertical dimension less than the distance between the flange which it seats and the bottom of the tote pan, each said flange further having a slot therethrough disposed intermediate the opposite ends thereof, said fork members having upwardly projecting lugs registrable with and shaped to be received in said slots, said flangees having their undersides unobstructed throughout their respective lengths including their opposed ends whereby said fork members are receivable linearly through said two opposed opeN unobstructed ends of the flange portions and whereby such fork members are shiftable upwardly against the flanges into seating position thereunder to support the tote pan with the upwardly projecting lugs received within said slots with which they register, said fork members being engageable with the sloping side walls of the pan during such upward shiftable movement of the fork members thereby to laterally adjust the pan and fork members relative to one another and thus vertically align the flanges with the fork members upon which they seat, and said lugs being upstanding from said fork members and having their side surfaces and their front and rear surfaces respectively in sloping convergence upwardly toward one another to guide the lugs into the apertures of the flanges whereby the pan is positioned longitudinally and transversely relative to the fork members as the fork members engage and lift the pan. 